An estimated 10 000 tourists from Shanghai are expected in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, next year following an agreement signed between the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and Touchroad International Group of China which will see the company introduce chartered flights to transport the Chinese tourists.

Tanzania’s latest statistics reveal that the country, mid-year, received 30 000 backpackers from China, an increase from the 13 760 who visited in 2012. The tourism potential from China is significant, with 1.4 billion people in the country, producing, on average, 120 million tourists to foreign countries each year, reports Tanzania Daily News.

The inked agreement between TTB and Touchroad International Group was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing China Tourism Roadshow, which commenced on November 12 in Shanghai, and is set to feature another five Chinese cities.

The TTB has included Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chengdu and Beijing in its roadshow, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.

The ongoing efforts by the Tanzanian Embassy in China and the TTB resulted in the charter flights set to be undertaken by the Touchroad International Group.